Today we would like to engage those collectors who own either sculptures “attributed to Daumier” or lithographs based on the unbaked clay models. Some of those are now part of the Musée d’Orsay collection in Paris.

This January (2012) a Spanish auction house offered a sculpture originating from a private collection in Perpignan, France. The work did not have a title and from the theme and expression we would suggest naming it “L’Ivrogne” or “The Drunkard”. The sculpture, which carries some old auction stamps on its base, is made of plaster (!). It undoubtedly shows similarities to some of Daumier’s lithographs, wood engravings and drawings. The height of 285 mm ranges somewhere between the known figurines and the “Ratapoil” sculpture.

           

 

                                 

 

    

 

A number of questions arise to which we invite your comments and answers:

– Can it be considered an original?

– Might it be one of the many fakes found on the market?

– Could it be that a lost figurine has finally surfaced?

– If so, why is it made of plaster, not of clay, like all the others?

– And why of this unusual size?

– Why are there no known bronze copies?

We invite you to participate in the description of this sculpture in the Daumier Register. Since we will shortly be adding all of Daumier’s sculptures to the digital work catalogue, we will include the most realistic and justifiable answers from collectors like you to the description of this sculpture in our work catalogue.

We are looking forward to receiving your comments.